Mayor Michael Ludwig, City Councillor for Culture and Science Veronica Kaup-Hasler, and representatives of the participating academic institutions presented the new Vienna Research Platform on Strauss and 19th-Century Popular Music at a press conference on April 29, 2026.

With this research platform, the City of Vienna is bringing together research, artistic expertise, and source material. Together with the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK), the University of Vienna, the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), and the Vienna Institute for Strauss Research, it is creating a cooperative structure for research and the promotion of young scholars, establishing the city as an international center for Strauss research.

The goal is to explore Vienna’s unique heritage surrounding Strauss, as well as Viennese operetta, dance, and popular music of the 19th century, and to open this field to a new generation of scholars.

The aim is to scientifically develop Vienna’s unique heritage surrounding Strauss and the Viennese operetta, dance, and popular music of the 19th century, and to open this field to a new generation of researchers.

Starting in autumn 2026, the platform will initially launch with four exploratory research fellowships, each lasting six to twelve months and endowed with €20,000. This will establish initial thematic priorities and open up new perspectives for scholarly inquiry. At the same time, the City of Vienna is creating targeted opportunities for early-career researchers and strengthening collaboration among the participating institutions.

A joint research group is planned to follow in autumn 2027. This group will establish the platform on a permanent basis, promote joint research projects, and further enhance the visibility of Vienna as a research location. In this way, a lasting structure for Strauss and popular music research in Vienna will gradually emerge.

The WISF (Vienna Institute for Strauss Research) is envisioned as a source, archive, and transfer partner in the steering committee and advisory board, as a resource for scientific quality assurance, and as a cooperation partner in projects.

We welcome the fact that such important institutions are dedicating themselves to Strauss and 19th-century popular music, a field of research so significant for Vienna and beyond, and are exploring it scientifically. We look forward to future collaborations with these renowned partners and to the inspiring and exciting projects of the younger generation.

Rathaus Wien Presestelle